Ten ‘eco-moorings’ have been installed in Studland Bay providing a facility for recreational boaters at the same time as protecting areas of seagrass in the bay. The new moorings use a helical screw anchor which is driven into the seabed and attached to the mooring buoy via an elastic band. Its flexibility means it does not scour the seagrass like an anchor does. The project has been carried out by the Seahorse Trust and national marina group ‘boatfolk’ within the Studland Marine Conservation Zone. The MCZ description (click here) reports that the spiny seahorse and long-snouted seahorse are known to breed within the site, with Studland Bay being the only known place in the UK where the long-snouted seahorse breeds.
August 3, 2021